Plant City entered the offseason having to replace its top passer (Nick Felice) and its top four leading receivers (Mario Williams, Reagan Ealy, Aromoni Rhome and Brent Coton).
The biggest loss was Williams, who won the Guy Toph award as the top player in Hillsborough County last season after racking up 743 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Rated by ESPN as the top receiver in the county, Williams already is making a name for himself at the collegiate level after an impressive spring as an early enrollee at Oklahoma.
Those departures had many wondering how the Raiders’ passing game would fare this year.
So far, Plant City is showing it is more than capable of having potent air attack, especially after winning the third annual Faith and Football Classic, presented by Advent Health.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes hosted 32 area teams in a 7-on-7 tournament at the Sportsplex of Tampa Bay this past weekend.
The Raiders went undefeated, culminating with a 21-14 victory over American Collegiate in the championship game.
“I’m pleased with what we were able to do,” Plant City coach James Booth said. “This was a great atmosphere, and a well-organized event. We’ve gone to the FCA-sponsored event in Lakeland and won back-to-back titles before.
“This was the first time coming to this event, and this is something that gives us some confidence after beating some sound teams this weekend.”
Clinton Danzey, a junior, is taking over at quarterback for the Raiders. He still has plenty of playmaking targets at his disposal, including seniors Romello Jones and Sincere Williams (younger brother of Mario) and junior Jae Sawyer.
Another receiver that stood out is CJ McClain, a sophomore who caught the go-ahead touchdown in the championship game.
“CJ showed that he is capable of having a role for us on varsity,” Booth said.
The tournament also included a big man camp for linemen and a kicking competition. Cypress Creek’s Colton Corrao won the kicking contest.
